Strip material winding apparatus



Oct. 12, 1954 e. A. GERARD STRIP MATERIAL WINDING APPARATUS 5 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1952 INVENTOR Qeo r 'gelllzerard ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1954 G. A. GERARD STRIP MATERIAL WINDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1952 INVENTOR Qerard/ I I I I I 2 w l Gam -gall;

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7IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIllIlIIIII/lIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA ATTORNEY 1954 G. A. GERARD STRIP MATERIAL WINDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 21, 1952 5 mm 8 mm E. cm 8. t. 8 f

5 mm B a? i. H mm H mm. t. 2 m n fihw 8 \fiu m ow mn 3 I Hm Q by INVENTOR George A .Qerard/ ATTORNEY Oct. 12, 1954 G GERARD STRIP MATERIAL WINDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 21, 1952 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 5 Shets-Sheet 5 ear ge A. Gerard I ATTOR1 E STRIP MATERIAL WINDING APPARATUS Oct. 12, 1954 Filed April 21, 1952 Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class of winding and reeling and is directed particularly to mechanism for winding strip material or material of ribbon form, more particularly strip material which has passed through a printing machine.

The present invention is designed particularly or primarily for use upon a printing machine which prints upon ribbon material such as ribbon or strip paper, cellophane and the like, although the invention is not limited to such use, and has for its primary object to provide a novel mechanism for winding the strip material onto a spool, cylinder or other carrier body and for facilitating the transfer of the strip from one spool which has become loaded, to a fresh spool, without the necessity of interrupting or stopping the movement of the strip through the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character stated wherein novel means is provided for winding strip material upon a spool and for then bringing a new or fresh spool into position to have the material wound thereon when the first spool becomes filled, with means cooperating with the spools and material to sever the material from the filled spool after the fresh or unfilled spool has been brought to a predetermined position with respect to the material.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in apparatus of the character stated, a rotatable carrier upon which a pair of spools are mounted, with means for keeping said spools in constant rotation so that one spool may have strip material wound thereon while the other spool is in readines, with means whereby the spool carrier may be released for rotary movement when the one spool has become filled, whereby to move the unfilled spool around into the position occupied by the first spool and into contact with the strip material, the first spool being shifted to the former position of the unfilled spool, whereby the strip material is temporarily extended between the spools in a position where it may be severed to permit the filled spool to be replaced by an empty one and to permit the previously empty spool to then take up the material and wind it thereon,

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a mechanism of the above described character, a hand control means for releasing the spool carrier whereby the spool positions may be reversed, with means operating automatically upon the complete reversal of the spool positions to bring a cutting knife into action for the severance of the strip material between the spools and-for stopping the rotary motion of the spool carrier.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best un-- derstood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the lower frame structure of a machine such as a printing machine or the like, showing therein the strip material winding apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a View in front elevation corresponding to Figure 1 but showing the moment of elevation of a filled roll to the top position and the engagement of the cutter with the web of material between the top roll and the new cone on the bottom or lower spindle.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation on an enlarged scale of the front or forward side of the spindle wheel and pulley.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line B--6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional'view taken substantially on the line l-'! of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view in edge elevation of the middle portion of the spindle wheel and pulley.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 99 of Figure 1.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line Ill-l0 of Figure 9.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the numeral l0 generally designates a frame structure which includes four upright corner posts or legs I2 arranged to define a square or rectangle and positioned upon a base plate It.

While, as previously stated, the present invention has been developed particularly for use in connection with a printing machine whereby to roll up strip material, as printing is applied thereto, it will be readily apparent that the invention is not limited to such use but may be used in any location where any type of strip or ribbon like material is continuously fed from a source to be wound onto spools and where it is desirable that the ready transfer of the strip material from a filled spool to an empty spool may be accomplished without interrupting the feed of the strip material. Accordingly it will be understood that the frame structure it does not represent the frame of any specific type of machine other than a machine associated with some type of operation upon or supply of a strip material.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a supporting body here shown as in the form of a horizontal plate IE secured across between and connecting two legs or uprights l2. At one end of the plate the adjacent leg carries a bearing 18 while the opposite leg remote from the plate carries a corresponding bearing 28 and supported by and between these bearings is a shaft 22 which is perpendicular to the plate l6. Upon this shaft 22 is a slip clutch pulley mechanism which is generally designated 24 and which includes the pulley wheel 25 with which a drive belt, hereinafter described, is connected.

Upon the outer end of the shaft 22, hereinafter referred to as the back end, is supported a sprocket gear wheel 28. This gear wheel 28 is connected by the chain 2'! with a suitable power source which may be in the form of a motor 23 having a shaft 29 carrying a sprocket gear 36 with which the chain 2! is connected and a drive pulley or gear 3| for delivering power to the hereinafter described spool carrying spindles.

On the legs 12 which support the bearings for the shaft 22 are mounted, at a substantial distance above the shaft 22, the inwardly directed parallel arms 32 between which is oscillatably suported the hand actuated rock shaft 33. At the forward end of the shaft 33 is a hand crank 34 and between the arms 32 the shaft 33 carries the downwardly extending arcuate arm 35, the lower end of which is positioned adjacent to the inner or forward face of the plate I6 and carries the laterally and upwardly curving spur 36, such spur being directed toward the side of the machine upon which the shaft 22 is located.

In addition to the spur 36, the lower end of the arm carries the long bar 31 which extends from the forward face of the arm 35 toward the front or forward side of the machine. This bar 31 is perpendicular to the spur 36 and parallels the shaft 22.

Carried by and extending along the longitudinal edge of the bar 3'! which is opposite from the shaft 22 is a cutter knife or blade 38, the function of which will be hereinafter set forth.

Due to the curvature of the arm 35 and the weight of the bar and spur on the lower end thereof, the arm tends constantly to swing in a direction to move the cutter bar 31 away from the adjacent shaft 22. This swinging movement is limited or controlled by the adjustment or stop screw 39 which is carried by the laterally turned end 40 of the arm 4| which is secured to a rear leg H. of the machine.

The plate or supporting body 16 has formed therethrough an opening 42 and secured to the outer or rear side of this plate 16 by the bolts 43 is a bearing spider 44 which carries the two spaced bearings 45 which are aligned with the center of the opening 42 in the body plate l6.

Rotatably supported by the bearings 45 is a main shaft 46 which extends from the forward one of the bearings 45 forwardly through the plate opening 42 and which carries within the spider between the bearings 45, the pulley wheel 41 which is connected with the motor pulley 3! by the drive belt 48.

Supported upon the forward end of the main shaft 45 upon the forward side of the plate It is a spindle wheel and gear train unit which is generally designated 49.

The unit 49 comprises a relatively large wheel rim 50 having a central hub 51 which carries a bearing unit 52 in which the forward end of the shaft 46 is engaged, and the two diametrically opposite radial spokes 53.

Adjacent to the outer end of each spoke 53 is a spindle bearing 54 which is aligned with a spindle aperture 55 extending transversely through the spoke. Adjacent to the inner end of each spoke and approximately midway between the axial center of the shaft 46 and the spindle hearing 54 is a transverse stub shaft opening 55. The axes of these openings 56 and bearings 54 are parallel with one another and with the axis of the shaft 46 and this shaft is parallel with the shaft 22, hereinbefore referred to.

Upon the rear side of the wheel rim as, between the wheel and the plate 16 is a gear train spider 5'! which comprises the long back bar portion 53 and the angularly extending short legs 59 which are positioned against the wheel rim at the outer ends of the spokes and secured to the wheel rim by the stud bolts 60. The bar portion 53 of the gear spider carries intermediate its ends the bearing unit 61 through which the shaft 46 passes.

At the outer ends of the bar 58 are carried bearing units 52 each of which is aligned with a spindle bearing 54.

Between the center bearing 6! and each of the outer bearings 62 the spider bar 58 has formed therethrough an opening 63 which aligns with the opening 56 of the adjacent wheel spoke.

Mounted between each wheel spoke 53 and the bar 58 is a fixed stub shaft 64, the ends of which are secured in the aligned openings 56-63 and such shaft has mounted thereon a sleeve bearing 65 to which is secured an idler spur gear 56.

The outer bearing 54 of each spoke has extending therethrough and through the opening 55, a spindle shaft 61, the rear end of which shaft is suported in the adjacent bearing 62. Forwardly of the bearing 54, each shaft 61 is of reduced diameter to provide a spool spindle 68.

Upon the shaft 46 there is keyed a spur gear 46a for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Keyed on each of the spindles 51 between the adjacent arm 53 and the bearing 62, is a spur gear 61a. This spur gear 67a, the gear 66 and the middle gear 46a which is carried by the shaft 46, are all of the same diameter and it will be seen that rotary power is transmitted from the shaft to the idler gears 65 by means of the shaft gear 46a and then from the idler gears to the outer gears 31a to rotate the spindles.

Axial movement of the spindle shafts is prevented by providing each shaft with the circumferential channel 69 in which engages the rounded end of a pin 10 which is extended inwardly from the outer end of the spoke, through the wheel rim, in the bore H. In this bore H is placed the coil spring 12, the inner end of which bears against the spindle retaining pin 79 and threaded in the outer end of the bore is the headless screw 13 which compresses the spring and maintains it in position.

The inner end of each spindle 68 has mounted thereon, and extends through the center of, a

plate 14 which is secured to the spin'dleby the radial screw 15,-and the forward face of this plate is covered by a friction disk- 115 which may be of cork or any other suitable'material.

The outerend ofi-each-spindle is-screw threaded as indicated at '11 to receivea retaining nut '18 by which thereis maintaine'd 'on the spindle a mandrel 19 of a conventional type-which is designed to grip and hold thereon a tubular spool 80 on which the strip material is to bewound.

Onthe face of the w heel rim io: are formed or secured the two arcuateatracks orrails' 8l which are concentric with one another and with the axis of the wheel anjdrwvh'ich have their adjacent ends spaced apart to provide the recesses 82.

Upon the inner .side of the-clockwise moving end of each track 8| issecured a hardened strike plate 83 which has an end 84 turned to extend outwardly across the adjacent end of the track. The counterclockwise moving end of each track is tapered off on the radial outer-side or face'as indicated at '85.

Encircling and --secured to the wheel rim-50 in wa-suitable manner is a pulley tire 8 6 which is here shown asbeing'ofV-form to receive a V-belt 81, which extends from this pulley to and around the friction clutch actuated-pulley 25 supported on the 'shaft 22.

As will be readily apparent upon reference to figure the spindle and gear train wheel unit 49 is mounted upon the plate [6 so that the shaft 46 is upon the side of the cutter bar 31 opposite from the shaft 22. It will also be seen that the openings or recesses 82 between the ends of the tracks 8| are in a line diametrically of the wheel, perpendicular to the radial line of the spokes 53. The tracks are of the proper length, and have the ends covered by the strike plate part 84 so positioned, that the spur 36 may be disposed across the end 84 of a strike plate, to be engaged by such end and thus hold the spindle and gear unit against rotation and maintain the spindles one above the other.

In the operation of the present mechanism power is applied to the main shaft 46 in a direction to transmit rotary motion to both spindles which are turned clockwise, as viewed from the front of the machine.

The material to be wound, designated M, is brought in from the right side of the machine and passed under and secured to the spool 80 on which it is to be wound, in any suitable man ner. For purpose of illustration it may be assumed that the material is an adhesive strip material such, for example, as adhesive tape or the material known commercially as cellophane or Scotch tape. In such case the adhesive face of the tape would be applied to the surface of the spool or cylinder 80 and the material wound up on the spool as the latter is rotated. During this time rotary power is being transmitted to the shaft 22 by means of the chain drive 2'! but rotation of the spindle carrying wheel and gears is prevented due to the engagement of the spur 36 across the upwardly directed end of the lowermost wheel carried track 8|.

When the spool is filled to the desired extent the hand crank 34 is actuated to shift the arm 35 laterally or away from the rotary axis of the shaft 46 until the inner end of the spur 38 is outside the circumferential area of the tracks 8|. The wheel is then free for rotation and the friction clutch is able to transmit the desired rotary motion from the shaft 22 to the pulley 25 and then to the pulley belt 8! so as to turn the entire wheel and gear train; in the clockwise direction. During this turning movement the inner end of the spur 36 will ride against the arcuate outer-surface of the adjacent track 8! until itarrives at the tapered end '85 of the track --whereupon-it will runoff the-track and move back through the recess 82,at the same time moving'the spur-36 back into -the path of the strike plate end 84 of the next track to check the rotationpf the wheel.

"During the-foregoing operation the'filled spool and the empty spool will change places, the filled spool rising to the top ofthe wheel and the emptyspool -moving down. In thedown-ward movement the empty-spool will come'into contact withthe adhesive face of 1 the strip of material and, as it is 'rotating, atl the'same time it moves around the'center of the "shaft'46, it will start'to wind up the strip of -materlal on the spool. Asthis occurs-the strip of'material will be stretche'd between the'fille'd upper'spool and the un'filledqor new lower spool-and simultaneously withthe positioning of the strip in this manner between the-spools the inner end of the spur will run off of the track with which it was engaged thus'permitting the knife bar to swing rapidly 1 inwardly and bring the knife across the stretched portion of the strip thereby severing the strip between the spools so that as the wheel comes to rest the fresh lower spool will be already engaged with the strip material and starting to wind the material thereon. The machine attendant may then remove the filled top spool and place a fresh unfilled spool on the mandrel of the top spindle to be ready to take over the winding operation upon the next rotation of the wheel and gear mechanism.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that there is provided by the present invention a novel and relatively simple mechanism by means of which strip or ribbon material or any other type of material may be wound on spools as it runs from a supply or feed source and the winding continued without interruption from one spool to the other.

I claim:

1. A winding apparatus of the character stated, comprising a shaft, means for rotating the latter, a wheel rotatably mounted on the shaft to turn independently thereof, a pair of spindles rotatably carried on the wheel and extending therefrom parallel with said shaft, gear means coupling the shaft and spindles, a power transmission shaft paralleling the first shaft, a pulley on the power transmission shaft, a friction clutch between the last named shaft and said pulley, a drive coupling between the said pulley and said wheel, a pair of semi-circular tracks carried upon a side face of the wheel in concentric relation with one another and with the first named shaft, the tracks being arranged to have the ends of one track in spaced opposed relation with the ends of the other track, an arm supported for rocking movement on an axis paralleling the axis of the wheel shaft, an end of said arm being movable across said tracks, a relatively long spur member carried by said end of the arm for movement through the space between two ends of the tracks for engagement by one of said track ends whereby the spur holds the wheel against rotation, said spur being moved radially outwardly with respect to the wheel to a position outside the circular area defined by the tracks upon the oscillation of the arm in one direction and adapted to ride against the outer face of a track, and means for limiting the inward swinging movement of the arm.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1, with a bar carried by the said end of the arm and extending in a direction substantially parallel with the first shaft, and a cutting blade carried by and lengthwise of the bar and directed toward the rotary axis of the wheel.

3. In a winding apparatus of the character stated, a support, a shaft rotatably supported thereon, means for applying rotary motion to the shaft, a wheel supported on an end of the shaft for free rotation thereon, the wheel including radial spokes and a rim, an elongate spider securedto and diametrically across the wheel between the wheel and the support, a bearing carried by each spoke, a bearing carried by the spider in alignment with each spoke bearing, a spindle having an end extending through and supported in each two aligned bearings and extending from the side of the wheel opposite from the spider and parallel with the shaft, a gear on and secured to the shaft between the wheel and spider, a gear on and secured to each spindle between the wheel and spider, idler gears between and coupling the shaft and spindle gears, means encircling and secured on the wheel for applying rotary power to the surfaces of the tracks when the wheel is rotating and designed to swing in between spaced ends of the tracks to engage a track end and stop rotation of the wheel.

4. The invention according to claim 3, wherein each spindle has an encircling channel formed therein. adjacent to the spoke bearing and a spring pressed pin supported in a radial bore in the wheel and engaging at its inner end in the channel to hold the spindle against longitudinal movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 411,608 Pope et a1 Sept. 24, 1889 653,583 Moore et a1 July 10, 1900 1,040,188 Gray- Oct. 1, 1912 1,139,0 7 Safford May 11, 1915 1,506,437 Midgley Aug. 26, 1924 1,966,525 Schultz et al July 17, 1934 2,095,123 Carkhuff Oct. 5, 1937 2,241,141 Knab May 6, 1941 2,586,832 Kohler Feb. 26, 1952 

